Palm Beach County Athletes Participate in Senior Games State Championships

Palm Beach County athletes to compete in 19th Annual
Florida Senior Games State Championships

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Senior Games State Championships return to Lee County and the City of Cape Coral for the fifth consecutive year and over 2,000 athletes, age 50 and over, have registered to compete in 24 sports and events over nine days, December 4-12. The 2010 Games are a qualifier for the 2011 National Senior Games to be held in Houston, June 16-30.

As of Wednesday, December 1, 2,073 athletes are registered to compete. The total is expected to climb with on-site registration. The highest registration total of the five years in Lee County was in 2006 when 2,106 competed.

To kick off the Games on Saturday, December 4, beginning at 11:00 a.m., the Estero Community Center will host the Florida Senior Games Official Welcome Ceremony. Along with the welcome, Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp, a Lee County resident and Florida Sports Foundation Board Member, will officially declare December 4 “Celebrate Senior Health Day,” in the State of Florida. Kottkamp will join senior athletes in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

Among the 74 individual Palm Beach County athletes competing in the 2010 Games is Peter Bayer, of Jupiter, the recipient of the 2009 Bob Fine Excellence in Race Walking Award. Bayer is registered for both the 5K Race Walk and 1500 Meter Race Walk in the 70-74 age group. Bowling record holder, Stanley Corwin, of Boynton Beach, will compete in Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles on Saturday, December 4 and Sunday December 5 in the 85-89 age group. Corwin set the Men’s Singles 80-84 age group record in 2005 when he rolled a three-game total of 619.

The 19th Annual Games will be the final year of an unprecedented five-year run in Southwest Florida as the Games have not been held in one community for that amount of time. The 2011 and 2012 Games will be held in Polk County.

Of the more impressive individual sports participation numbers are 221 bowlers registered to compete at Galaxy Lanes/Pin Street on Saturday, December 4 and Sunday, December 5. 22 bowlers from Palm Beach County will be in action for two days of singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles events. It is also the highest overall total in Lee County and an increase of 61 bowlers from 2009. Also the first weekend, 162 pickleball players will compete at the Estero Community Center. The total number of athletes is the highest participation number in the sport since the Games have been in Lee County and an increase of 37 athletes from 2009. The Cycling races, to be held Tuesday, December and Thursday, December 9 will see 137 athletes riding in in Cape Coral. The 137 athletes represents the second highest total in the history of the Games and highest in Lee County.

In 19 years of the Florida Senior Games State Championships, 34,314 athletes have participated the annual Olympic-style Sports Festival for athletes age 50 and over and 9,749 have participated in the last five years in Lee County.

The 2010 Florida Senior Games State Championships are a program of the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the State of Florida, held in conjunction with the Lee County Sports Authority. For daily schedule and competition information as well as daily results, please visit www.flasports.com.

To request information about athletes from your area, or have photos taken for use, please contact Nick Gandy at (850) 322-3404, December 3-12.

74 individuals from Palm Beach County competing in the 2010 Florida Senior Games State Championships